I was not planning on going on the Leadership Journey because I had basketball summer league games and work outs and partially because I didn't really know what it was exactly. This is where it starts to get interesting.
The day before my first summer league basketball game last summer, we had an open gym. I was playing really well trying to show the best of my ability to the coach hoping to get some playing time in the game the next day. One play I was running down the court on defense. The ball was thrown over my head but I jumped up and intercepted it. The only bad part: my landing. I caught the ball but when I came down I landed on the side of my right foot. Snap. There goes my ankle. I hit the ground in the most pain that I had ever felt in my life. I was bummed to say the least. I felt like everything was falling apart It really made me realize that I'm in a lot less control than I thought I was.
After a few weeks of crutching around everywhere and chilling on my couch with a cast on my right leg, I was still really bummed that I had broken my ankle. It hurt like crazy and it caused me to miss every single summer league game. I didn't think it could get any worse.
On June 17, 2009, the day before the Leadership Journey, I got a call from Jerry Hines, my high school pastor. He said there was still one open spot for the trip and he asked me if I was interested in going. He said that he called because my name specifically came to his mind. After asking my mother I thanked him and told him that I could go and was really excited.
The next day, 22 high schoolers, including myself, and five leaders took two 15-passenger church buses down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a Leadership Conference.
On our way down we stopped at God's Bible School. We had some really good team bonding and group discussions. Later in the evening we played basketball and volleyball in the gym for a couple hours. I still tried to play despite my broken ankle. I had gotten really good at hopping on one foot.
When we arrived in Gatlinburg we put all of our stuff in our hotel room and went to the first session. Everyday there are two sessions, one in the morning, and one at night, along with a late night concert. The speakers' name at the conference was Louie Giglio. I had never heard off him before originally hearing about this trip. He was a very powerful and inspiring speaker. His messages we're and still are among the best that I have ever heard. Fee led worship at every session and Leeland and David Crowder Band both performed in the late night concerts.
I spent most (all) of my time time with Matt Nanney, Joel Roath, and Deanne Bradshaw. We had lots of free time in between sessions and occasionally late at night. We walked (or crutched) into town several times just checking out all of the cool stores and paying way too much for one scoop of ice cream. Everyone was so friendly and several people verbalized the fact that I was rather large. I had so much fun hanging out with my best friends the whole time. It was like better than a dream.
One day Jerry wanted to drive around in the bus looking for cool scenery. Matt, Joel, Deanne, and myself went with him. We came up to this mountain and parked the bus. It was raining so I had to cover up my cast with a plastic garbage bag. Jerry wanted to climb it because there is a waterfall up there. I was a pretty confidant crutcher (not a word) so I decided that I would go. So we all took a three mile hike up the mountain, over a fallen tree that was almost as tall as I was, to get to the waterfall. People walking the other way coming down the mountain thought that I was crazy. They may or may not have been correct. It was a tad bit tiring but it was worth it.
Overall it was one of the best memories of my life. Scratch that. It was the best memory of my life. And wouldn't even have gone had I not broken my ankle. It's crazy to think about. God is awesome. What I thought was the worst possible thing that could've happened to me at that time, He used to humble me, and give me the experience of a lifetime.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Such an amazing verse. God is great.
Thank you so much if you have taken the time to read my blog, this post especially. I know that I have said in the past that "I just practically wrote a novel". Well this time I pretty much did. And this is the short version of the story. I didn't talk about how it is impossible to beat Matt and Joel in any card game when they are on the same team, our security guard named Kevin, how Deanne was scared of the Fee drummer, a bunch of famous people signing my cast, Megan Harris running/dancing into a wall, how many times Joel had to save me, secret time, and the list goes on.
Creeper eyes...
